Re Actions Reaction
by Scottea
Summary: For those who like loose-ends tied up here is Re Actions tied up.
1. Chapter 1

Back in his quarters Kirk sat for a few minutes staring at, at nothing. He had not turned up the lighting in his quarters, hoping that in the darkness he could find some sort of reasoning or at least understanding of what had happened. He was the Captain. He was in command. He was responsible to the wellbeing of his crew. Slowly he started to feel a welcome calmness. Then the treacherous voice whispered, "You tortured one of your own crew. You victimized one of your officers. You publically debased the man. You systematically abused one of your own officers not only in ways horrific to the point of being barbaric but also beyond belief. You could have resisted. You should have re,"

**No.** He all but jumped out of the chair and turned the lights on then sat down again, waiting for the shaking to stop. No. If he had not done what he had they would have killed Spock as well as Hanley and most likely him and no doubt would have had a plausible reason for doing so. They had been told that Tonalus Three had extremely high expectations of senior officers who piloted starships; that they were expected to be different from others, that they dominated their ships. They had beamed down knowing that to be accepted they had to show their dominance over a subordinate ranking officer. No indication was given as to how the domination was proven nor was how the dominance was tested. Only now did he fully understand why those things were not mentioned. For any captain to do that to a subordinate.

An almost uncontrollable fury briefly possessed him and he slammed his open hand on his desk, "**Damn you all!**" The fury lessened to an erosive anger. He thought of all those who had been there before and been tested, all those who had been there and not told the full extent of what the domination entailed. Not told of the threats. ** Not one** of them had given the slightest warning about what to expect.

Quickly he reached out and listened to his own report he had ready to send. A chill seemed to grip him, replacing the anger. How like the others. He had not stated what he had done. He had not stated how they would have killed Spock and Hanley if he had not done as they requested. He was as guilty as they were.

It had to be stopped. He could stop it. All he had to do was **state what really happened**, not give the same sort of report the others had. What really happened. He had told enough, he had a report not all that unlike all the others. And it was what had happened. He and Spock were the senior crew and they had shown dominance over a subordinate officer. Just as the others, he had not gone into the details. With a sense of unease he read again all the reports by other captains who had been there. All of them had said that "those in power on Tonalus Three expected to see a senior officer force or display their dominance on or over a subordinate officer and my Number One and I showed our force in **dominating** over a subordinate officer."

Force in **dominating.** Kirk closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. There had been no dominating. Hanley had shown subservience. They had seen he knew he was subservient to them, that he accepted their domination over him without protest or force. He had made it look likek he and Spock were dominating him. Kirk remembered how surprised the Tonalus Three officials present had been surprised by what they say as the silent dominance he and Spock had over Hanley.

Spock had been correct, from the moment Hanley had reached out to touch him Hanley had been in change. Without a word said or a movement made command had been passed. He could not recall how or when other than when they had briefly looked at one another. Without hesitation Hanley had acted. Not once had he resisted what was done to him, did not make a sound, and when he again had looked at Kirk, Kirk had seen only acceptance and pain before Hanley had turned and walked to where Spock stood. Spock had said about seeing unimaginable agony about Hanley when Hanley had stood before him and yet without hesitation and again in silence he had endured what Spock had done to him. They had not forced him, he had enabled them to do what they had to do.

Again he thought of his report and knew he would not send it till he had talked with Spock again, till he had talked with Bones. He wanted to warn others of what the testing involved but knew if he had told the whole story both he and Spock would be up on charges, their careers in ruin. Calmly he nodded. He would wait till he had talked with Spock. He had come to his quarters to sleep but he found he could not block his thoughts, could not stop thinking of what he had done. He had watched his crew be tortured but he had never tortured any of his crew, never mistreated any of his crew. Despite Spock and McCoy wanting him to sleep there was only one place he felt he had to be,** needed to be**.

McCoy looked from the Vulcan to his patient. He tried not to think of what his friends had had to do, what seeing Hanley like that, with the pain register staying so high and knowing they caused it, could be doing to them. They would both be blaming themselves. While Jim had gone to his quarters to sleep McCoy knew he would not sleep but be going over and over what had happened trying to figure out what he should have done even though McCoy was sure there was nothing either of his friends could have done once Hanley had made up his mind as to what had to be done. He had had too many confrontations with Hanley to not know that. Spock might try to rationalize it and hide behind that Vulcan façade but for that briefest of moments he had seen that human side and seen what that part of him was going through.

Not being able to get an exact analysis of the substances that Hanley had in him meant that, like Spock and Jim, he had to wait and watch. Of all the things known to man that was what he hated the most, the feeling of helplessness and having to wait and watch. He accepted that they had done all they could and now just had to wait and yet there was something about what Spock had said to Hanley. Honey and herbs. So often Spock had teased him about his old ways, perhaps that was what was needed now. There was something he had read. There was no mistaking the fact that whatever Spock had been using had marginally lessened Hanley's pain. He had used manuka honey and herbs. Manuka honey and herbs. Years ago he had studied the old herbal ways as Sulu had brought him an unusual herbal tea. He remembered that it was manuka honey that was an antibiotic internally, antibacterial externally, and was often used in conjunction with different herbs, but which herbs .

"Doctor, are you feeling unwell?" The baritone voice brought McCoy back to the situation he was trying to find an answer for. Only as he brought himself back to the present did he realize he was staring at the Vulcan façade that hid the Human part he had had another glimpse of.

"Quite well, Spock. What herbs are you using with the honey?"

"A few dried Vulcan ones."

Dried. Dry. Absorbing. An emetic. Without thinking McCoy gripped both Spock's arms and looked at him, "Do any of them have the texture of charcoal?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Apologies about first time - heat and medicals scrambling what few brain cells I have. **

* * *

There is one that," Spock nodded, "An emetic. Given orally with honey it," McCoy released the arms as Spock started to turn,. "I shall go get what is presently available of both, Doctor, while you prepare Hanley. On my return I shall assist you."

"You don't have to be present when I,"

The Vulcan had taken perhaps three steps then stopped and turned, "**I do have to be present**, Doctor. I am responsible."

"We can argue later, go."

McCoy had Hanley almost ready when he heard the door open and without turning around said, "I am glad Jim is asleep. He would find this hard to watch. Now," he abruptly stopped as he saw his friend and Captain standing behind him, "I told you to get some sleep."

"I would find what hard to watch?" just briefly did Kirk look at the indicators and knew the pain register was still far too high.

"There is no need for you to be here, Jim. It is just a treatment Spock and I thought might,"

"Doctor, I trust," Spock paused as he entered and saw Kirk beside McCoy, "Jim, McCoy and I have the situation here under control. You should be resting."

"You better let McCoy take those and do whatever he has to." Spock handed over a medium sized box to McCoy. "And while he is doing whatever he has to you can tell me what is going on."

"I believe we are both thinking the same, that a particular Vulcan herb can be used to absorb the toxins from his systems. You do not need to see what we must do."

"Dammit, Spock. You saw what I had to do down there! Do not tell me,"

"Jim, we are going to have to force him to swallow it and are going to have to force some into his lower larger colon." The Vulcan saw his very Human Captain close his eyes as he remembered all that had happened, all that he had done. "You need not be here."

Kirk looked at him, held his gaze, saw the torment in their depths, "And I suppose McCoy has said you need to be here?"

"He knows that** I have to be here**."

"Have to? Now why do you have to be here and I do not?" Kirk was aware of the rush of anger that momentarily swept over him as his looked at his friend and First Officer. They both had been here, both had done things to Hanley. He had just as much right to be there.

""Because McCoy knows I can assist him in his treatment of Hanley **without any emotional involvement**."

"**Don't you dare give me that emotional control spiel!** I saw you down there. I saw how you were feeling. Don't you,"

"Jim, I am in control of my emotions. I have admitted to you and even Doctor McCoy that I acknowledge that my Human bloodline has given them to me but I am in control of them, they are an inconvenience but I am in control of them. Can you be sure that you will be in control of yours if you are to assist in what must now be done to Hanley? What must be done now is **a version of what we did to hi**m on the planet."

Just for a moment Kirk thought everything had stopped. All he heard in a repeating, fading echo were those eleven words. _A version of what we did to him on the planet. A version of what we did to him on the planet._

Slowly he nodded and stepped back to where he could see the bed, "I'll, I'll just stand here in case you need me." There was no way to misinterpret the look exchanged between Spock and McCoy and Kirk was fully aware that they would be keeping an eye on him as well as working on Hanley .

Spock took the tray of honey and herb balls that he and McCoy had been making while talking with Jim and the large jug of water then started for the head of the bed but stopped. Just for a moment he was back in that arena, back looking down at Hanley, back making him. He shook his head and looked at McCoy, "If I may, Doctor, I would prefer,'

McCoy looked at the Vulcan hearing, as he knew from a quick glance at Kirk, that Jim had heard it as well, a deep and sorrow-filled dread in the plea that Spock had, in his usual Vulcan way, made into a question.

"Of course, Spock. I should have thought of how you have the strength to ensure they get to his colon." In the dark eyes that looked back at him as they exchanged bowls and places McCoy saw the quickly flashed "Liar but thank you."

Four times Kirk had to close his eyes as Hanley moaned and twisted in a vain attempt to escape. Not once on the planet with what they had done to him had he made a sound or shied Only when McCoy walked over and stood in front of him did Kirk realize how hard it had been on both of his friends, could he see how doing what they had had to do had effected McCoy.

"You best go, Jim. If this works it till get very messy very,"

"Sick," it was a pain filled groan more than a word and McCoy turned fast enough for both of them to see Spock gripping Hanley just as Hanley was trying to roll to the side of the bed and he was leaning over the side when his body went into spasms and here was an uncontrollable projectile empting of his stomach contents.

"That's good." Kirk heard McCoy softly say, "Now if only." There suddenly, as Hanley's body contorted again in Spock's arms, the undisguised stench indicating that Spock's ministrations had produced a similar reaction.

McCoy rushed forward, calling back to Kirk, "Get my staff to bring in as much cold water as possible. We have to rehydrate him now." Just for a moment it seemed that neither Spock not McCoy noticed the amount of liquid on the floor as they moved around the bed, Spock still holding Hanley as Kirk could remember being held when he was a child and vomiting. It stopped him for a minute. Spock was not holding Hanley as a patient, but as a sick child, a sick friend. There was but an instant when Spock looked over at him, just an instant when the turmoil and blame his friend was feeling showed in the dark eyes.

"Also have them bring some warm saline water. Now, Captain." That jolted him back into action and he soon had not just the medical officers but also the whole science branch bringing in either warm saline water that they gave to M'Benga or cold water that they gave to McCoy.

Watching where he stepped while more of the crew cleaned the floor Kirk walked over to the bed and motioned Spock back, gently taking Hanley's head and holding it as McCoy indicated. "You need to go change your uniform, Spock.. I will be with him. It is not an order."

"Thank you, Captain. I will not be long." There was a part of him that was thankful that his friend and Captain had been aware of his need to get away to gather himself after the exposure he had just had to the pain Hanley was not vocalizing. As he had told Kirk before he had been able to control his Human side with all the emotional conflict it had presented him with but it had taxed him. What had made it more difficult to deal with the emotional conflict was the knowledge that he was responsible for the pain Hanley was in. The intensity of the pain as he had held Hanley's head was almost more than his shields could stand. But there had been something else there, something that Spock had not been able to name till he was in his quarters. He had also felt shame in Hanley. A deep shame at being helpless. As he finished cleaning himself and pulling on a fresh uniform Spock nodded. He would have to have a long discussion with Hanley about such an irrational belief.

At first Jim Kirk had felt useless as he held his officer's head steady for McCoy to clean. Four of the medical unit had helped clean him and move him to a new bed but Kirk had kept hold of the man's head, ensuring that the now infrequent retching did not cause him to gag or choke. He could feel the tenseness in the man as well as the pain. Carefully he ran his fingers through the sandy hair, remembering how that used to be what his mother did when he was a boy and sick. Gradually he felt the tension leaving Hanley and only became aware that some time had passed when he heard Spock talking with McCoy.

"Look, you just see that Jim does rest and I will notify you of any changes in Hanley as soon as I notice them. All the registers are where I want them with him and he is breathing on his own and in no pain. Your idea with the honey and herbs saved his life."

"I believe it was more your idea of adding the charcoal that saved him, Doctor. Thank you. I do not know why I had not thought of that."

McCoy shook his head, "You were thinking on too many levels, even for a Vulcan, Spock. Something like that was easy to miss."

"Perhaps, but I should have,"

"Stop it, both of you." Kirk smiled as he looked at his two friends, "I think we have all felt different levels of guilt and responsibility about this. The main thing now is that Hanley is alive and, if I am not mistaken, on the road to full recovery."

It was Spock who looked at him first, "You are correct, Captain. His recovery is largely a result of McCoy's totally unfathomable methods of making what should not logically work," then at McCoy, "actually work with no major side-effects. Officer Hanley should be fit to resume full duties."

"Only when his doctor tells him and his senior officers that. I'll do a few more minor tests then give him a mild sedative to ensure he sleeps a bit longer, put him on limited duties for a few weeks then full duties." McCoy moved to the bed and waved the scanner over Hanley as though checking what the monitors were registering. Then placed a hand on Hanley's shoulder, "How you feeling, Hanley?"


	3. Chapter 3

Brown eyes looked up and they all saw a deep pain and exhaustion in them, "Tired. Feel like I've had the worst big meal imaginable." He looked at Spock, "I apologize for throwing up on you, Sir."

Spock looked at him and momentarily forgot about his two friends. He was still thinking on how before he had felt such shame in the man for being what he clearly perceived as helpless. It was still there, he saw it in how Hanley looked at him, how he was biting his bottom lip. "It is I who must apologize to you for making you take the action you did. You took action while I was deep in thought and hesitating. Your actions were correct both in relation to what you did for the Captain and what you did for myself."

"I agree with what Mister Spock has said. I also must apologize. As the Captain I was responsible for all that happened."

"I. I. I touched you without permission, Sir. I knew they were watching and you did not move so I, I,"

Kirk remembered only too what what had happened and held up his hand, "As Mister Spock said, all your actions were correct. Now, you need to rest. I am sure we will all talk later."

All three saw the flash of panic on Hanley's face, "Can't it just be the past? Wasn't it just another successful, routine mission with all the landing party involved?"

Kirk looked first at McCoy who nodded his head in the affirmative then nodded it towards Spock and for a few seconds Kirk looked at Spock and knew he, too, was back there, was remembering it all. As he looked he could also tell that Spock was letting go of it, was consigning all memory of the incident to that part of his Vulcan mind where such memories are securely shut away. He knew in time it would be a memory but it was still an event that needed his report on. His report. It was a _successful, routine mission with all the landing party involved_ . He did not have to mention the nature of their involvement. He nodded once to Spock and his friend nodded back.

'You are correct, Officer Hanley. It was another successful, routine mission with all the landing party involved in making it a success. No details will be given as to what was done, only that our actions gave them the proof they wanted that the members of the Federation and of Starfleet in particular, are people of high calibre who can be trusted and relied on."

"Thank you, Sir." Hanley looked from Kirk to Spock, "I've never tried eating apricots and limes together, should be interesting."

"Well, you are nowhere near ready to eat any sort of concoction this green-blooded hobgoblin can have made. For the next few days it will be mainly liquid meals. Now I believe this is Sick Bay as in you two should be off doing your jobs and leaving me to mine," McCoy smiled at is two friends, "Unless, of course, you two want to become patients."

""No, that is quite alright, Doctor. I am sure the Captain and I can find more important things to do than to subject ourselves to your beads and rattles."

Together Kirk and Spock left Sickbay and walked back to the bridge together in friendly silence. McCoy turned to Hanley and was pleased and relieved to see he was sleeping. He adjusted the light sheet over him then stood looking down at him and whispered, "I thank the gods that be that you were with them for with those two there is very rarely such a thing as a routine mission."

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**A/N There - hope that is enough of a tied-up ending - could go on about Starfleet sure there was more to it or how the apricot and lime shortcake was not the best thing to give Hanley. . . . Almost endless possibilities - just as in real life. Enjoy and now back to the medics. . . . At least it is much cooler there temperature-wise. . . . .**


End file.
